Richmond VA Car Accident Injury Lawyer

Richmond VA Car Accident Injury Lawyer

Every car wreck lawyer in Richmond knows that anyone that has been involved in a serious car crash will have emotional scars for a long time. You know yourself, if you have been in a car accident, the horrible memories you have. And at the time you were probably shaken and scared, especially if you were seriously hurt. The first thing you have to do is seek medical attention.

Always seek medical attention immediately following any sort of accident. Once you are back home, if live in Richmond, contact a car accident lawyer in Richmond. A local car crash attorney near youwill know exactly what steps to take to protect your rights.

Were you hurt in your car accident? Chances are, the answer is yes. This means that you are going to have medical bills to pay. You will likely miss substantial time from work. You will have to pay to get your car fixed. If the accident was not your fault, then someone should pay. Contact one of the premier Richmond car accident attorneys at CAIL. The initial consultation is absolutely free.

You need an experienced Virginia car accident lawyer to review your case. They will determine what the estimated value is of your case. They will help you decide what steps to take next. There are certain things you need to do right away. You need to file a claim with your insurance company. You need to file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company.

Depending on the insurance situation, you may have to take legal action against the other driver. If insurance isn’t going to cover all of your damages, you will need to file a lawsuit. Trust your Richmond car accident lawyer to help you make these decisions.

Different Types of Car Accidents and How Car Accident Injury Lawyers Can Help

There are as many types of car accidents as there are types of drivers. Richmond car accident lawyers have seen them all. Each type can cause injuries. It just depends on how severe the accident is. Here is a look at the most common types. The unfortunate thing is all of these can be prevented.

Rear-End Accidents

Rear-end accidents may be the most common type of all. They can happen when the person behind you doesn’t stop fast enough. Or, they don’t stop at all. Sometimes, you stop quickly at a changing light. The person behind you doesn’t realize until it’s too late. Either way, you end up getting hit from behind.

Often, the damage in rear-end accidents is limited to minor damage to your car. However, you can be injured in a rear-end accident. Richmond car accident attorneys see serious injuries in rear-end accidents.

Whiplash is a common injury with rear-end accidents. So are back injuries. This comes from the jerking action when the other driver hits your car. Your head and neck get knocked back and forth. This action can cause muscle injuries or whiplash.

Usually, per Virginia law, the second driver is at fault in a rear-end accident. However, the other driver’s Virginia car accident attorney will try to prove otherwise. They will argue that your brake lights weren’t working. Or they will claim you were distracted. They may say you jammed on your brakes. This is why you need your own experienced Richmond car accident lawyer.

Texting and Driving

Texting and driving accidents are one of the most preventable types of car accidents. You’d think in this day and age people would know better. There are campaigns by law enforcement across the country to stop texting and driving. There are commercials showing the dangers of texting and driving. It doesn’t matter. As long as people don’t use sense while driving a car, they will continue to text and drive.

These cases present a real challenge for Virginia car accident attorneys. The only real way to prove a driver was texting and driving is with phone records. Without an attorney, it is near impossible to get phone records. This is why you need to retain the services of a Richmond car accident lawyer. They can issue a subpoena to the other driver’s phone company.

Even with phone records, your Virginia car accident attorney may have trouble. The other driver’s attorney will claim the text was from before or after the accident. Your attorney will need to try to get witness statements.

If you’re lucky, someone saw the other driver texting. Sometimes even the other driver’s passenger will be a witness. This is especially true if he was hurt. He may be suing the driver’s insurance company as well. Your Virginia car accident attorney can find this out in discovery. You may not know how to do this.

Head-On Collisions

Some of the most serious types of car accidents are head-on collisions. Usually, they involve two cars that are driving at full speed. However, one driver may not be paying attention to the road. Maybe one driver is drunk or otherwise impaired. Any number of things can cause a head-on collision.

Because of the serious injuries involved, it is important that you meet with a Virginia car accident lawyer. He can guide you through the steps of an insurance claim or lawsuit. This is not something you want to try to handle yourself.

Some of the injuries associated with head-on collisions are head and brain injuries. They can cause permanent brain damage or even paralysis. Your attorney is going to seek a high amount of damages.

Head-on collisions are common with the next two types of car accidents we will discuss. Wrong-way drivers and drunk driving accidents often result in head-on collisions. This is because one of the drivers is not paying attention to the road. You are the one who will suffer the price. Regardless of the cause, head-on collisions are serious. They are one of theleading causes of car accident deaths.

Wrong Way Drivers

One of the most mind-boggling types of car accidents is the wrong-way driver accidents. You would think with GPS and street signs that people would know which way a street goes. However, you would be surprised at how many wrong-way driving accidents occur in Virginia.

Sometimes, a wrong-way driver is drunk or on drugs. They lose control of the car or pass out. Or, they are driving around a neighborhood they aren’t familiar with. They are speeding and end up going down a street the wrong way.

The concern with wrong-way drivers is that you have no idea they are coming. You can pay as much attention to the road as you want. You have no way of knowing that a random driver will decide to come down the street the wrong way.

Hopefully, if the person is just lost, they won’t be driving fast. We all tend to slow down when we are lost or confused. If this is the case, the impact will be minimal and nobody will be seriously injured. However, that is not always the case. Sometimes, a head-on collision results and passengers in both cars are badly hurt.

Drunk Driving Accidents

One of the most infuriating types of accidents is those involving a drunk driver. There is absolutely no excuse to drive drunk. With rideshare companies as prevalent as they are, there is no reason to drive after drinking.

Sadly, many people ignore the dangers of drunk driving. Either they think they are sober enough to drive or they just don’t care. When we speak of drunk drivers, we are also referring to drivers under the influence of drugs. Whether the drugs are illegal or not, they can be dangerous.

Richmond car accident lawyers see cases all the time where one of the drivers was high on drugs. This is getting even worse as the opioid epidemic grows in the United States. No area of the country is immune to this. Drivers overdose on heroin and end up hurting or killing innocent people. They don’t expect the drug to incapacitate them the way it does. The result is two cars destroyed and lives ruined.

Virginia laws prohibit driving while drunk or under the influence of drugs. If a driver is found to be drunk or on drugs and an accident ensues, they are facing serious charges. Your Virginia car accident lawyer needs to request toxicology reports from the prosecutor. Sometimes, it is all the evidence you have that the other driver was impaired.

If the Insurance Company Denies My Claim Should I Hire an Attorney for Auto Accidents?

So, what do you do if you’re in a car accident and the insurance company denies your claim? You can call and write nasty letters. You can demand that they pay your claim. This doesn’t mean it will help. You need a competent Richmond car accident attorney on your side. They know how to handle the insurance companies.

There are a few reasons an insurance company may deny your claim. They include

A lapsed or canceled policy (either yours or the other driver’s)

A late claim

An insurance company that doesn’t believe you were hurt

A refusal to seek medical attention immediately following the accident

If any of these is the case, even a good Virginia car accident lawyer will have trouble helping you. If there was no valid insurance policy, the insurance company will not pay a claim and if you didn’t seek medical treatment, it is almost impossible to prove you are hurt. It is even harder to prove any injuries were the result of the accident.

It is not the insurance company’s job to pay claims. Sadly, they like to deny as many claims as possible. It saves them money. It also means they don’t have to hire attorneys to fight the claims right away. They are hoping you quietly go away. They don’t expect you to hire a Virginia car accident attorney.

Your lawyer will go to bat with the insurance company. They will also file a civil suit against anyone if that is necessary. They have the expertise that you just don’t have. This is why you should call Commonwealth Accident Injury Lawyers right away. The initial consultation is free. They will answer any questions you may have.

An Auto Accident Lawyer can Help Win Your Cases for a Variety of Injuries Sustained

When you are in a car accident, you may get hurt. If you’re lucky, you’ll end up with just cuts and bruises. However, many people end up with broken bones or more serious injuries. If this happens to you, you need to get compensation for your injuries. If the automobile accident was in Richmond, it is important that you call a Richmond auto accident lawyer.

Concerning other types of personal injuries you should find a personal injury lawyer that has injury experience related to each particular type of injury. Let’s take a look at the most common types of injuries caused by a car accident. Each type can be more serious or less serious depending on the accident. Your Richmond car accident attorney will review this with you.

Head Injuries

The most serious type of injury is a head injury. Head injuries include concussions, lacerations, and bruises. They also include traumatic brain injuries and internal bleeding. These are the more serious types of injuries. They can lead to the following:

Headaches

Memory loss

Speech issues

Paralysis

Coma

Ringing in the ears

Head injuries are scary because you can’t tell immediately how bad the injury is. Usually, you need to get MRI and cat scans to figure out exactly what is wrong. These are expensive. They require you to take time off work. They may even require a hospital stay. If you need surgery, that means more money and more time away from work.

The other issue with head injuries is that they may require you to get tested for several years. Your doctors are going to want to make sure the injuries don’t get worse over time. You may have to go to physical therapy. For legal reasons, you need to keep up with all medical treatment. If you refuse treatment or miss appointments, it will affect your lawsuit. It could cause your insurance claim to be denied altogether.

These problems can be short-term or may last forever. Either way, they can cost you a career, a family and your quality of life. You are entitled to compensation for these things. Your Richmond car accident attorney will make a demand for this compensation.

Neck Injuries

Neck injuries are common with just about all types of car accidents. You may suffer whiplash following an accident. Whiplash is caused when your neck is pushed beyond normal limits. If your neck is pushed forward, backward, or to the side, it can cause whiplash. Although it is not a serious injury, it can be very painful. It may also cause you not to work for some time.

You may have torn muscles or tendons in your neck. You may experience pain and stiffness for days or weeks following the accident.

Neck injuries are nothing to mess around with. You need to seek immediate medical treatment just in case you do have a neck injury. If your seat belt tightens during impact, you could suffer lacerations to your neck. You may break your collarbone. These are things you may not discover right away.

The problem with head and neck injuries is that they can be invisible. They also may not show up right away. It may be a day or two before you even realize you are hurt. If you feel worse, you need to go back to the hospital. You need to get treated. You also need documentation to prove you have been treated.

Back Injuries

One thing about car accidents is that they can cause lifelong back problems. Even the slightest impact can cause disc issues. You may end up with herniated or slipped discs. They can be the most painful injuries of all. Physical therapy may be required. You may need to see the chiropractor or even need surgery. You won’t know until you go to the hospital.

Again, we cannot stress enough how important it is that you seek immediate medical treatment following a car accident. Back injuries have a way of taking a while to show up. You could feel fine the day of the accident. However, you may wake up the next day unable to get out of bed.

For legal reasons, your Richmond car accident lawyer needs you to get proof of injury. If too much time goes by between the accident and seeking medical treatment, you’ll have a problem. The insurance company will claim the accident isn’t what caused your injuries. They will say something happened after the accident and that is the cause, not the car accident.

Your lawyer is going to use your medical documentation to prove to the insurance company that you were hurt. He will present it to the court if you need to file a suit. He will use it as leverage to get you the best settlement possible. Don’t make his job harder by refusing medical treatment.

Internal Injuries

As hard as it is to diagnose and detect head and back injuries. It is even harder to detect internal injuries. In fact, there is no way for you to know you are bleeding internally. The only way is to go to the hospital and let them run the necessary tests.

You could end up with internal bleeding from an accident that doesn’t seem that serious. A rear-end accident could cause internal bleeding. And, you can bleed internally from almost any place. Often, they will see internal bleeding near your organs including the brain. This is very dangerous. Surgery is almost always required to repair this.

If the doctor doesn’t discover your internal injuries fast enough, you could die. Internal injuries could lead to organ failure. It can lead to infection. You could wake up a day after the accident and learn that you have ruptured your spleen.

This is just one more reason why it is so important to get immediate medical treatment. It is also one more reason you need to hire an experienced Virginia car accident lawyer. Call the experts at CAIL for a free initial consultation. They know how to put a value on these types of injuries.

Facial Disfigurement

Although it may sound vain, your face is a precious commodity. You rely on your eyes, ears, and nose to live. And, you want to look nice. Car accidents all too often can cause facial disfigurement.

Facial disfigurement could result from a car fire during an accident. It is also caused by deep cuts and broken bones. You may need to get a plastic surgeon to repair facial disfigurements.

Because we live in such a vain society, facial disfigurement leads to compensatory damages in court. Your attorney will fight for more money for you for a facial disfigurement. It could lead to lifelong insecurities and health problems.

Wrongful Death Claim

In a perfect world, nobody would ever die from a car accident. Sadly, we know this is not the case. Every day we see stories on the news about people who die in a car accident. It is tragic. And it happens too often.

If you have lost a loved one due to a car accident, you need a car accident attorney. You will be in pain. You will need to focus on taking care of your family and you have to bury your loved one. It will be a terribly sad time.

Let the attorneys at CAIL handle the legal side of things for you. This way, you can focus on getting your life back to some semblance of normalcy. Without sounding cold, wrongful death cases bring the highest settlements. No insurance company or attorney wants to go to trial on a wrongful death claim.

Attorneys know that wrongful death claims bring high settlements. However, if you don’t know the law, you may never get justice for your loved one. A wrongful death lawyer can be a good resource to help defend your accident insurance claim. Rely on the experts at CAIL to fight for you. Talk to a Richmond attorney for auto accidents today for a FREE case evaluation. Call us now at (804) 332-6561.

Richmond, VA

Falls Church, VA

The material and information contained on these pages and on any pages linked from these pages are intended to provide general information only and not legal advice. You should consult with an attorney licensed to practice in your jurisdiction before relying upon any of the information presented here. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute an attorney-client relationship.